1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mounting clip, and, more specifically a mounting clip for mounting automobile accessories to an automobile structure.
2. Description of Related Art
The passenger compartments of contemporary automobiles have a headliner mounted to the sheet metal roof of the passenger compartment. The headliner is typically a foam layer molded with a decorative surface or covered with an outer decorative layer. The headliner can be attached to the vehicle roof by clips which pass through the aligned slots in the headliner and the roof. It is common for the clips which mount the headliner to the roof to also mount automobile accessories to the vehicle. These accessories include: pull grips, garment hooks, light assemblies, mirror assemblies, visors, and visor mounts, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,227, issued May 24, 1994, illustrates a clip in combination with a locking bezel for mounting a visor to a vehicle roof. The clip comprises a body from which two opposed arms extend outwardly and downwardly, each arm having a locking flange which is seated behind the upper surface of a sheet metal roof bracket when the clip is inserted through an aperture in the roof bracket. The locking bezel has two locking tongues that extend between the body and the arms and snap-fit within an aperture in the arms to limit the inward deflection of the arms, preventing the removal of the clip, unless the bezel is first removed. A similar clip/bezel combination is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,323, issued Jan. 21, 1992, except that the locking tongues abut the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,322, issued Jan. 21, 1992, discloses a clip for mounting the visor to the vehicle roof. The visor includes a molded-on torque fitting, including a spring clip having triangular flanges with an edge which snaps onto and locks behind a ledge in a header socket positioned above the vehicle roof. A bezel is snap-fit to the molded-on torque fitting and prevents access to the spring clip to prevent removal of the spring clip. Similar clips without a locking flange are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,708,895, issued Nov. 24, 1987, 4,517,711, issued May 21, 1985, and 4,765,036, issued Aug. 23, 1988.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,552, issued Feb. 11, 1986, discloses a clip for mounting a visor to the vehicle roof. The clip includes a torque fitting surrounding the elbow of the visor and a spring clip disposed over the torque fitting. The spring clip has two opposing spring arms which seat behind the upper surface of sheet metal brackets adjacent an aperture upon insertion of the torque fitting into the aperture.